Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he plans to have with representatives of HSBC and Standard Chartered on recent statements of support from both companies for the introduction by China of new national security legislation for Hong Kong.

The UK Government speaks regularly with international financial services firms about a range of issues. It is for individual companies to make their own judgements. We have made our own position very clear on China's proposal to impose national security legislation on Hong Kong.

This proposal undermines the 'One Country, Two Systems' framework, under which Hong Kong is guaranteed a high degree of autonomy with executive, legislative and independent judicial powers. If China proceeds it would be in direct conflict with its obligations under the Joint Declaration